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In this lesson, students will learn about coral reefs by using code in Minecraft to build one.
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Click and watch this teacher preparation video to help you understand how to teach this lesson. Here is a YouTube link of the teacher video for your reference: https://youtu.be/gPO94xYZ0hg
Start Here: Teacher Preparation Video
Re-build a coral reef in Minecraft by using code.
Write your own functions to have the Agent build coral structures.
Communication
Critical Thinking
Why are coral reefs considered the forests of the sea?
What kind of features do we notice in coral reefs?
What kind of structures can we use in Minecraft to build the coral reefs?
What kind of programming concepts can we used to code our build (e.g. loops, functions, etc.)?
Coral reefs are often called the rain forests of the sea because of the amazing biodiversity found within them. Sadly, many of the word's reefs have been destroyed due to climate change, pollution, and coastal development. Your challenge is re-build a coral reef in Minecraft by using code!
This lesson will enable students to:
Re-build a coral reef in Minecraft by using code.
Write their own functions to have the Agent build coral structures.
Final Code for the coral reef: https://minecraft.makecode.com/14499-09456-23138-56016
Check out the Tips & Tricks video playlist that will help you and your students better use Minecraft: Education Edition in the classroom:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkh9rrdH-ARER03ojhFYtmoFDVuACYJLa
More videos added periodically so make sure you check often for more content!
Click and watch the student pause and play video with your class, pausing and playing as needed. This will help your students understand how to navigate through this lesson and Minecraft world and complete the activities located within them. Enjoy!
Check out the YouTube link for your reference: https://youtu.be/mkDvUB5An3M
Student 'Pause & Play' Video
Unit A: Interactions and Ecosystems
Students will:
identify examples of human impacts on ecosystems, and investigate and analyze the link between these impacts and the human wants and needs that give rise to them.
identify intended and unintended consequences of human activities within local and global environments.
Identify needs and opportunities for designing, through exploration
Generate ideas from their experiences and interests
Add to others’ ideas
Choose an idea to pursue.
Making
Choose tools and materials
Make a product using known procedures or through modelling of others
Use trial and error to make changes, solve problems, or incorporate new ideas from self or others
Sharing
Decide on how and with whom to share their product
Demonstrate their product, tell the story of designing and making their product, and explain how their product contributes to the individual, family, community, and/or environment
Use personal preferences to evaluate the success of their design solutions
Reflect on their ability to work effectively both as individuals and collaboratively in a group
Use materials, tools, and technologies in a safe manner in both physical and digital environments
Develop their skills and add new ones through play and collaborative work
Explore the use of simple, available tools and technologies to extend their capabilities
Curricular Competencies
Students are expected to know the following:
biomes as large regions with similar environmental features
Cluster 1: Interactions with Ecosystems
Students will:
Identify environmental, social, and economic factors that should be considered in the management and preservation of ecosystems.
Propose a course of action to protect the habitat of a particular organism within an ecosystem.
Ecosystem Dynamic
Develop an action project or campaign related to biodiversity protection in community or region.
Habitats and Communities
Students will be expected to:
relate habitat loss to the endangerment or extinction of organisms.
Life Science: Habitat
Students will be expected to:
Investigate human impacts on local habitats
Environmental Action
Students will be expected to:
Analyze the impact of humans on ecosystems, including pollution and green technologies.
Living World Secondary - Cycle one - Gr. 7-8
Defines a disturbance in a community.
Explains the effects of certain factors that disturb the ecological balance (e.g. human activity, natural disasters).
Life Science - Habitats and Communities
Students will:
Assess the effects of natural and human activities on habitats and communities, and propose actions to maintain or restore habitats.
Assess intended and unintended consequences of natural and human-caused changes to specific habitats.
Relate habitat loss to the endangerment and extinction of plants and animals within habitats and communities in Saskatchewan and elsewhere.
Collaboratively develop and carry out (if feasible) a plan to preserve or restore one or more components of a local habitat.
Life Science – Diversity of Living Things
Examine and describe structures and behaviours that help individual living organisms survive in their environments in the short term and species of living organisms adapt to their environments in the long term.
Suggest reasons why specific species of organisms have or might become endangered or extinct.
Interactions within Ecosystems
Analyze how ecosystems change in response to natural and human influences, and propose actions to reduce the impact of human behaviour on a specific ecosystem.
Be sensitive and responsible in maintaining a balance between human needs and a sustainable environment by considering both immediate and long-term effects of their course of action or stated position.
Understanding Life Systems: Habitats and Communities
Students will:
analyze the positive and negative impacts of human interactions with natural habitats and communities taking different perspectives into account.
identify reasons for the depletion or extinction of a plant or animal species, evaluate the impacts on the rest of the natural community, and propose possible actions for preventing such depletions or extinctions from happening.
Algebra
Students will:
C3.1 solve problems and create computational representations of mathematical situations by writing and executing efficient code, including code that involves conditional statements and other control structures.
C3.2 read and alter existing code, including code that involves conditional statements and other control structures, and describe how changes to the code affect the outcomes and the efficiency of the code
Algebra
Students will:
C3.1 solve problems and create computational representations of mathematical situations by writing and executing efficient code, including code that involves events influenced by a defined count and/or sub-program and other control structures.
C3.2 read and alter existing code, including code that involves events influenced by a defined count and/or sub-program and other control structures, and describe how changes to the code affect the outcomes and the efficiency of the code.
Understanding Life Systems: Interactions in the Environment
Students will:
describe ways in which human activities and technologies alter balances and interactions in the environment
Life Science: Habitats
Students will be expected to:
identify examples of positive and negative effects of technological developments on natural habitat
Life Science: Diversity of Life
Students should be able to:
describe reasons why various animals are endangered, and describe efforts to study their populations size and ensure their continued existence.